Short Takes

While Islamic anti-Judaism increases, a bit of positive interfaith news emerged this week from American Catholic leaders.
U.S. Catholic bishops declared Monday that campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity "are no longer theologically acceptable in the Catholic Church."
This conclusion is contained in a 12-page joint Catholic-Jewish statement called "Reflections on Covenant and Mission" issued with the National Council of Synagogues, representing the Conservative and Reform Jewish streams.

The trouble began when they spotted a rodent in the hallway, claim Rafael and Devorah Streicher, but after being escorted by police from the Days Inn in Catskill, N.Y., the Brooklyn couple began to smell a rat.
The Streichers and three of their five children checked into the motel, about two hours from New York City, on a Friday last month en route to visit their son at a nearby summer camp. The following afternoon, the Orthodox family watched as housekeepers packed up their cholent pot and other belongings and sent them to another hotel.

At the Western Wall, prayers are written on small pieces of paper and stuck between the stones. They're not taped on, as above. But this wall is made of canvas. And it's located in Camp Mesorah, in Guilford, N.Y., past the Catskills.

Brent Delman didn't want to throw just another summer singles party.
After hearing from his cousins in Israel about the deaths of their friends in the army, Delman, a New York-based club and party promoter, decided on a benefit for terror victims in Israel.
So he joined forces with promoters of trendy clubs in the city, including Halo, Metrodome, Mod and the Supper Club, as well as some in the Hamptons, to sponsor the "We Are One" benefit Wednesday night at Float, 240 W. 52nd St. and Broadway.

He's been a member of the most famous fighting superhero foursome for the past 40 years. As the unquestioned muscle of the group, he helped save the planet (even the universe) countless times.
And for all that time, Benjamin Jacob Grimm held a closely guarded secret.
But now the tough-talking former test pilot (and charter member of The Fantastic Four) has revealed his concealed heritage.
It turns out that Grimm, known to comic book lovers around the world merely as The Thing, is Jewish.
Who knew?

A book memorializing the 21 primarily Russian teenage girls killed by a suicide bomber outside a Tel Aviv disco a year ago isn't finished yet, says the mother of one of the victims, "because there are a lot more [terrorist attacks] happening."
Each time there has been another terrorist attack, says Riina Rudin, "we relive [Simona's death] all over again."
Simona, 17, was killed in the June 1, 2001 attack, which also injured 120. Rudin says the book should be widely read to convince the world to stamp out terrorism.